Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/07/01

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: M6, 50mm Summicron and more
From: Harrison McClary <hmcclary@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 01 Jul 1997 21:41:52 -0500

>It is much the same as the TV station camera guys stuffing their video
cameras
>in your face and then scream assult if you put your hand up to stop them or
save
>yourself from being eaten by their cameras.

When I was covering the World Serries the police made all of us still
shooters stay behind a wall to shoot the after game reaction, but of course
the TV jerks ran out there with their ultra wides on and got in all of our
ways.  I tend to think that those things are much better covered with a long
lens.  It cleans up the background ect.  The lead color we moved from that
game, this was the serries that foriegn team from the north won :) , I shot
with
a 400 2.8.  

Now in defense of using a wide *occasionally* to shoot someone's photo.  If
you are doing an environtmental photo it is very handy to put them in their
setting in a dramatic way.  This can be done tastefuly, or in an obnixious
manner, and is frequently overused.  I think most photogs who do this should
take that 20 and stick it under the seat of their car for a month or two and
learn how to shoot with out it.  Then they may be able to use it effectively
agian.

>These are the types that perpetuate the animal image of news photographers
to
>the point that newspaper shooters do no not receive any respect simply
because
>of the animal pack in your face mentality.

The ones that kill me are the guys who look like they slept in their
clothes, wear a cap to everything, and are rude to everyone.  These guys
give us all a bad name and should be slam dunked in the nearest river.  I
have always felt you should dress for whatever you are shooting.  If the
mode of dress is a coat and tie, wear a coat and tie, if blue jeans wear
jeans.  And of course be POLITE to who ever you are working with.  Being a
jerk will get you no where, and in manny cases it will get you thrown out of
a situation.

Harrison McClary
http://people.delphi.com/hmphoto

- ----------